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Sir Charles Barkley, 1992

In an era where star athletes dole out their signatures for money, barely nodding or smiling at the purchaser, Barkley is a throwback. He grins and chats, seeking conversations with the littlest ones in the rear who are too shy to call out his name.

Wali Jones: Outlaws & Holdouts, 1974

Let me tell you something—when you worry, three things happen. You get baldheaded, you get fat, and you have a heart attack. As for me, I’ll just keep on being an outlaw and doing the best I can.

Dennis Johnson: Committed, 1985

Dennis Johnson has matured through the seasons. His emotions now do not erupt at coaches, they are channeled into his superlative all-around game.

The Master Plan to Change Wilt Chamberlain, 1962

The Warriors were sputtering in their early games, but Chamberlain was ripping up the record book like a barracuda with a can of tuna.

Slater Martin: A David Cutting Down Goliaths, 1950s

Nobody was ever sure what made Martin great. He was too small to cope with the huge stars of the game, yet he often played them to a standstill.

Another Quiet Thursday Night with the Miami Floridians, 1971

Oh, what a night it was. Virginia Squires vs. Miami Floridians

Happy Hairston: Oh, Happy Days, 1971

The superstars get the headlines, and nobody knows it better than Harold Hairston, the 6-foot-7 forward of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Has Gail Goodrich Grown Up? 1974

He’s all grown up now, a good guy and a grand player and not about to let the bumps in the road bother him.

In Search of . . . Ralph Sampson, 1988

Sampson said soon after the trade, the best piece of advice he received upon entering the NBA was never to unpack your bags.

Clair Bee: The Busiest Bee in Baltimore, 1954

But things have been happening in Baltimore lately. Pro Football came back for another try. Major league baseball returned after an absence of half a century. And a 53-year-old gentleman with squinting eyes and an athlete’s shuffle came to town.